One other benefit to consider: if you work after starting Social Security benefits and pay FICA taxes, the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount annually. If your current earnings are higher than one of the 35 years used to calculate your initial benefit, your benefit amount could actually INCREASE. So working could potentially give you a permanent raise in your Social Security payment!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. I reached my FRA at 66 and 8 months, then went back to work full-time making about $55,000. My Social Security benefits continued without any reduction whatsoever. The only surprise was that my tax bill was higher at the end of the year since more of my SS became taxable, but that's just regular income tax - not a penalty or reduction in benefits. Also, make sure to factor in that you'll be paying FICA taxes again on your wages, but as others mentioned, this could actually boost your future SS payments if your current salary is higher than some of your lower earning years from the past. Definitely take the job if you need the income - the earnings test really does disappear completely once you hit FRA!

This is such a helpful thread! As someone new to navigating Social Security benefits, I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences. It sounds like the key takeaway for your neighbor is that while her 4-year-old will get the full 50% benefit they're entitled to once the twins age out, the household will still experience a significant income reduction because that money the twins were receiving doesn't just transfer over. I'm bookmarking several of these suggestions - the BOAN request, visiting the local office in person, and that Claimyr service for getting through to SSA faster. It's frustrating how complicated these calculations are and how hard it can be to get clear answers from SSA directly. Your neighbor is lucky to have someone like you helping her navigate this system! Has anyone here dealt with appealing benefit calculations if they think SSA made an error? I'm wondering if that's something families should be aware of as an option if the numbers don't seem right.

I'm new to this community but have been following this discussion closely as my sister is in a similar situation with SSDI benefits and aging-out children. The information everyone has shared here is incredibly helpful! One additional resource I wanted to mention is the Red Book that Social Security publishes - it's a comprehensive guide to work incentives and benefit programs. You can find it online at ssa.gov or request a printed copy. Chapter 2 specifically covers family benefits and the family maximum calculations that everyone has been discussing. Also, your neighbor might want to start documenting everything now - dates of phone calls to SSA, names of representatives she speaks with, reference numbers for any cases or inquiries. This creates a paper trail that can be really helpful if there are any discrepancies later. The financial planning aspect that others mentioned is so important. When my sister's oldest aged out last year, the income drop was exactly as significant as everyone here described. She found it helpful to practice living on the reduced budget for a few months before the change actually happened, just to identify what adjustments she'd need to make. Thank you all for sharing such detailed and practical advice - this thread should be required reading for anyone navigating SSDI family benefits!

I'm confused about something. I thought you only get retroactive pay if you file AFTER your full retirement age? I'm 63 and planning to claim next year. Can I get retroactive payments too?

As someone who's been helping people navigate Social Security applications for years, I want to reassure you that you handled this perfectly! The comments section is absolutely the right place for retroactive benefit requests on the online application - there's no separate field or checkbox for it. The fact that you already spoke with an SSA agent who confirmed your comments were clear is excellent news. They review these requests routinely, and your situation is very straightforward since you're 70 and well past your FRA. One additional tip: when you call in 3 weeks to check status, also ask them to confirm they processed your retroactive request AND consider asking about extending it to the full 6 months allowed (back to April 2024) instead of just October-November. Since you're already at maximum benefit amount at age 70, there's no downside to claiming the full retroactive period you're entitled to. Keep that confirmation email and application number handy for your follow-up call. You're in good shape!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! Like you, I started my benefits at 62 and was getting around $1,200/month while my husband's benefit was much higher. Here's what I learned: You definitely need to apply for spousal benefits - it's not automatic. I made an appointment at my local SSA office (much better than trying to call) and brought our marriage certificate, both of our award letters, and our Social Security cards. The spousal benefit calculation was confusing, but basically I now get my original $1,200 plus an additional $340/month as the "spousal add-on." It's not a huge increase, but over a year that's over $4,000 extra, which really helps with our expenses. One tip: ask them to calculate your potential spousal benefit during your appointment so you know exactly what to expect. They can run the numbers right there and tell you if it's worth applying. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to seeing the first increased payment. Don't get discouraged by the complexity - it's worth pursuing even if the increase seems small!

I'm in a similar situation and have been researching this extensively! One thing I learned that might help is that you can actually check your potential spousal benefit amount online before applying. If you create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov, you can view your Social Security Statement which shows your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). Your husband can do the same with his account. Once you have both PIA amounts, you can get a rough estimate: if 50% of his PIA is more than your PIA, then you might be eligible for a spousal add-on. But remember, since you claimed at 62, your spousal benefit will be reduced to about 32.5-35% of his PIA instead of the full 50%. For example, if your husband's PIA is $2,400 and yours is $1,600, then 50% of his ($1,200) is less than your full benefit ($1,600), so you wouldn't qualify for spousal benefits. But if his PIA is higher, you might get something. The online account also lets you see if SSA has already processed any spousal benefits for you automatically. Worth checking before you spend time making appointments!

After reading through this thread, it sounds like you'll need to call. Since you're under FRA and applying for reduced spousal benefits, that's likely why you don't have the online option. When you do call, make sure you have: your spouse's SSN, your marriage certificate (or at least the date), and information about any previous marriages for either of you. This will speed up the application process once you get through.

I went through this exact same frustration last year! The SSA website is so confusing about this. What worked for me was calling the national number (1-800-772-1213) first thing Monday morning at exactly 8 AM when they open. I got through on my third try that way. The agent explained that because I was applying for spousal benefits before my full retirement age, I couldn't use the online system - it has to be done over the phone or in person. She walked me through the entire application during that call, which took about 45 minutes. Have your marriage certificate date, your spouse's SSN, and any previous marriage info ready. The agent was actually very helpful once I got through. Don't give up!